THEFRONTLINE

How do you establish an identity? Ask jazz guru Ruth

I’ve recently started playing in a trio, led by the jazz trumpeter Laura Jurd, with Corrie Dick on drums, and me on bass. I’ve played with both musicians in different setups before, so I was very excited about the new project. About a year ago I decided to play more electric bass than double bass, so that’s what I wanted to do in this trio. I didn’t quite know at the beginning what kind of music we would play, as Laura is so versatile a musician that we could have gone a few different directions.

When we first got together, Laura suggested a few tunes which she felt inspired her as a musician and composer. These included songs by the Beatles, Bill Frisell, and Bill Withers, as well as standards in quite a few different styles. I always find